15:40 14 October 2025
There could be up to a million unused apartments in Poland
Poland faces a hidden housing problem — hundreds of thousands of empty homes remain unused. According to the Central Statistical Office, in 2022 municipalities had over 72,000 vacant apartments, while the 2021 Census counted 1.8 million empty dwellings, mostly in older buildings. Experts estimate the true figure is higher, as many private properties are excluded from data. The main barriers to reusing these “ghost homes” include high renovation costs, unclear ownership, and heritage restrictions.
Most vacancies are in urban centers of Małopolska, Podlasie, and Lubelszczyzna. Researchers from IRMiR and Habitat for Humanity Poland argue that adapting existing buildings could ease the housing shortage—if supported by simpler legal procedures, financial incentives, and revitalization policies.
